Cop 'carefully staged suicide,' committed crimes

ROUND LAKE BEACH - Authorities say an Illinois police officer who killed himself in what they say was an elaborately staged suicide embezzled money from a police program for seven years.

Lake County Major Crimes Task Force Commander George Filenko led the investigation into the Sept. 1 shooting death of Fox Lake police Lieutenant Charles Joseph Gliniewicz.

Filenko said Wednesday that Gliniewicz had been stealing and laundering money from the Fox Lake police explorers club, which he oversaw. He says Gliniewicz spent thousands of dollars of the money to pay for personal purchases, mortgage payments and travel, among other things.

On the day he died, Gliniewicz radioed that he was chasing three suspicious men. His death led to a large manhunt, but no arrests were made.